Overlook Neighborhood Update (Sept. 22)

1) Polish Festival this weekend
2) North Portland Transportation Partnership Kickoff
3) Make public records work for you
4) OKNA elects 2018-19 board


1) Polish Festival this weekend

The annual Polish Festival returns for its 25th year. Come out to polka, enjoy polish food and beer, and see your neighbors. The festival takes place at St. Stanislaus Church on N Interstate Avenue near the Failing Street pedestrian overpass.

Admission is free. Come eat some pierogi and enjoy the live music. The event runs Saturday until 10 p.m. and Sunday noon-6 p.m.

2) North Portland Transportation Partnership Kickoff a huge success

OKNA Transportation Chair Alexandra Degher has been working with other North Portland neighborhoods to form a collaborate effort to address transportation issues that affect all of us. They’ve formed the North Portland Transportation Partnership and held a kickoff event on Wednesday.

Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek and Portland Commissioner Chloe Eudaly, who heads the Portland Bureau of Transportation, spoke. Watch their remarks online.

Read more about the event.

3) Make public records work for you

Have you ever wanted to do your own research into the decisions or activities of your local, state, or federal government?

Oregon’s Public Records Advocate, Ginger McCall, will be hosting two public trainings on Oct. 8 in Milwaukie and Oct. 15 in Portland. Both events are at 5:30 p.m.

These trainings will cover the basics of how to make a public records request under both the Oregon Public Records Law and the Federal Freedom of Information Act. They will cover:

  • How to decide which public records law is appropriate
  • How to draft a request, how to identify the correct agency
  • What kinds of fees requesters may face – and how to get them reduced
  • What exemptions allow the government to withhold information
  • How to challenge public records fees, exemptions, and delays.

Learn more, including the exact locations, online.

Attendance is limited to the first 50 attendees for each training session. To register, please email Ginger McCall at ginger.mccall@oregon.gov.

4) OKNA elects 2018-19 board

The Overlook Neighborhood Association held its annual meeting on Tuesday, and members elected the board for the coming year. The new OKNA board will be (* indicates returning board member):

  • Addie Humbert*
  • Alan Cranna*
  • Alexandra Degher*
  • Brad Halverson
  • Chelsea Snow
  • Chris Trejbal*
  • Cynthia Sulaski*
  • Daniel Drake
  • Derek Xava
  • George Spaulding*
  • Kristina Kern*
  • Lauren Alfrey
  • Mike Shea*
  • Shannon Sansoterra
  • Stefan Bester

If you run into any of the 2018-19 board members, please thank them for stepping up to serve. We’ll work hard to keep Overlook the best neighborhood in Portland.

Thanks also to outgoing board members Dannielle Herman, Kent Hoddick, Melissa Castor, Mike Murphy, Noelle Smith and Mitch Bixby.

New board members will formally take office at board meeting on Oct. 2, 6:30 p.m. at the Historic Overlook House. At the meeting the board will choose the executive committee (chair, vice chair, secretary and treasurer) and make committee chair assignments.